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• Derogatory language of SBD on stage

• 'I'd vote for U.N.F. but only if...'

• Work together to eradicate terror

• Pornography on web-site

Derogatory language of SBD on stage

On Tuesday October 30, 2001 at 7.00 p.m. ITN news telecast I heard the manner in which Mr. S. B. Dissanayake and Mr. Rajitha Senaratne spoke of the President.

Mr. Dissanayake said that very soon President would come out to the street like a mad woman and walk along the street minus her dress excepting her underwear (the word which Mr. Dissanayake used for under wear is lunket). Supposing if someone else spoke in such terms and such language about Mr. Dissanayake's wife, mother or sister how would Mr. Dissanayake feel. I hope no sensible person will speak in such terms of any individual apart from President unless there is some mental disorder in that person.

For some people these utterances are very amusing and they will say "Hurrah".

That is the category who are not sufficiently educated to understand what is wrong and what is right. But fortunately greater percentage of our population is educated enough to condemn such derogatory speeches.

Can a person who speaks in such derogatory language specially of President of the country be a gentleman? Gentleman is a person who has self respect and respect for others.

Are these the type of people to whom we are going to entrust ruling of this country?

I do not say at all that President is immaculate. President is a human being like any of us. All human beings are subject to error and other deficiencies. If any human being speaks of another human being in such derogatory language it is left to the listeners of such speeches to judge the standard and the origin of the speaker.

Without knowing Mr. Dissanayake is chopping a sandlewood tree.

I feel that it is not the President who is mad but the people who are making such derogatory speeches of the President. If they are mentally sound they will not make such speeches.
J.V. Ja-ela

'I'd vote for U.N.F. but only if...'

I wish through the medium of your newspaper to ask Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe a few questions for I do wish to vote for the UNP and for him, but I am truly confused.

Let me first declare myself so that he would understand my values. I am a Christian Anglican and was an admirer of his uncle that great Bishop and humanist Rev. Lakshman Wickremesinghe, He was some twelve years older than I am but I was indeed privileged to consider him more than an acquaintance. So that would indicate to his nephew what my values would be.

I do place great value on friendships and 'connections' but principles I value more.

And now to the matters I wish to have clarified.

What is your position on the ethnic issue? I have heard you say many times over "my position is well known" but pardon me Sir, I seem to be one who does not know.

I stand for a united Sri Lanka and I must add that I do not believe that there has ever been a traditional homeland of any particular community in this country.

Certainly Tamils have lived for a thousand years or more in the north - some Sinhalese too have lived there for generations, just as Tamils have lived in the south for centuries - the Hindu Temples or Devales around the country testify to this. If you know Sinhala history you would not only know that the Kandyan kingdom extended to and beyond Batticoloa (read Knox).

King Sadhatissa's many edicts are carved in stone in the Eastern Province and are there for you to see. So,

1) Are you for the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces of our country?

2) Are you for allowing the LTTE to retain their arms or are you for the de-commissioning of weapons?

3) Do you stand for a Confederation?

4) Are you for the stationing of our troops in the North?

5) How do you propose to deal with any request for extradition by the Indian government, after an Agreement is reached, as you have predicted, with the LTTE?

We must have categorical answers to these questions, please do not be evasive and insult our intelligence.

Another important matter which worries me greatly is how you intend to deal with people who have joined you from the PA, who have obviously acquired wealth far in excess of their income. Please do not respond to me as your late uncle President JR Jayewardene once did when I broached the subject of how some of his Ministers had become millionaires overnight - he asked me to prove it! That was indeed the pits. I did not vote for the UNP or for that matter for anyone else after that. What is the income of a Minister? Rs. 30,000/- per month? Let us allow another ten thousand as entertainment and travelling allowance - how much would that add up to for a year - Rs. 480,000' - per annum - say the man did not spend a cent of this money and saved it all - how much would that add up to from 1994 August till now - for six years - Rs. 2,880,000 - how did the former Minister build a house for Rs. 15 million by his own admission? He says his sister and father helped - have they paid Income Tax? Does the Inland Revenue Department have files for them? Mr. Wickremesinghe, could you please let me know as to whether you would,

1) permit the Bribery Commission to continue their investigations?

2) would you order the Department of Inland Revenue to investigate the matter?

3) Would you appoint him Minister when you form a government or would you ask him to stay out until he is cleared?

4) would you undertake to ensure that no one including yourself interferes with the investigation?

My final questions to you relate to the 17th Amendment, the Constitutional Council and the Commissions. It has been mentioned that you are opposed to the Commissions. That you went along only to please Karu Jayasuriya. Would you

1) give priority to the appointment of the Commissions?

2) bring legislation to allow for an Independent Caretaker Government to be established before general elections are held in the future?

3) support electoral reform - to refine the present system?

My family and I would dearly like to vote once again and for the UNP. So please take this seriously, as I am giving expression to the fears and thoughts of many of our countrymen who are in a dilemma - for, we certainly do not wish to vote for the PA which has been a diaster and would like to vote for the UNF, but if only you can convince us with your answers to the questions I have raised in the public interest.

SENEVIRATNE, Colombo 3.

Work together to eradicate terror

Terrorism is the nation's main enemy. It is no surprise that the LTTE will time its attacks to coincide with the elections.

Both PA and UNP need to be careful because the LTTE's aim is to cause havoc and create animosity between the major political parties. they will try to assassinate prominent leaders from both the PA and UNP to drive a wedge between the Sinhala parties.

The Tigers are a single-minded monolithic fascist organisation. They do not know and respect democracy. They will use any and all means to achieve their ends. This includes the puppet Tamil parties who are afraid of them.

It behoves the UNP and PA to be cognizant of this fact and not go to bed with the LTTE for temporary electoral gains. it is indeed a shame to see political parties trying to curry favour with a terrorist organisation hell-bent on destroying Sri Lanka.

Do our leaders learn from the American experience? See how single-minded they all are.

See how they have said "no negotiations" with Bin Laden. See how they use all and any means necessary to fight terrorists. Why are our people not learning and working together to combat terrorism in Sri Lanka?

MANO RATWATTE , via email

Pornography on web-site

Many know that the Internet is the host for the Computer Web-site. And in the W/S there are several channels to pick up what is desired.

But this technology, which is constantly ballooning much to the benefit of man, has alarmingly been perverted. A 10 minutes preview ad show on sex is allotted free to any desired clients in some Internet Cafes. Thereafter, on a minimum payment of Rs. 50 an assortment of ghastly sex (still) pictures for a duration of one hour is allowed for viewing at the click of the relative address. These W/S are designed to entertain anyone who desire to see pornography. Some teenagers, who even cannot discern a calf from a cow, are very often found engrossed at these centres for view.

Although pornography sells relative to a minority, yet some school boys are obsessed on seeing them for carnal excitement.

One item of clear evidence is sex movies in disc on P/C - which is bleeding teenagers white. Probably, the CD porno disc are the best sellers after blue video cassettes.

H.L.D.E. PERERA , Mattakkuliya

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